In the first half of 2024, the Port of Oakland set a new record: 94% of ships were connected to the seaport’s power grid, indicating a significant increase in the use of shore power.
Shore power refers to the practice of connecting ships to an electrical grid while docked at quay. This allows the ship to switch off its diesel engines and thus produce almost no ship emissions while docked.
According to the Port of Oakland, the rate of ships connected to the Oakland Seaport’s power grid averaged 94% in the first half of the year. By comparison, the shore power connection rate for all of 2023 was 85%. Thanks to the increased ship connections in Oakland, the air is cleaner, the port emphasized.
“Shore power is the most effective way to reduce emissions from ships when they are in port,” said the Director of Environmental Programs and Planning at the Port of Oakland Colleen Liang.
“We thank the shipowners who are retrofitting their vessels for shore power. We also thank the terminal operators for coordinating and providing manpower to physically connect the vessels calling at Oakland.”
In May, the port achieved a record 99% vessel connection rate. As of November 2023, shore power usage has been over 91%. The port continuously maintains and improves its shore power system so that it is ready to supply power when ships dock.
The Port of Oakland is expanding its shore power capabilities with plans to install portable shore power outlets, making it the first port in the country to implement the technology.
These mobile sockets are intended to give ships more flexibility in connecting to the power grid at the dock and solve the challenges of orienting ships towards stationary plugs.
This initiative also underlines the port’s commitment to innovation and its ongoing efforts to reduce emissions from shipping operations.
Last year, the port signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Port of Yokohama on the Green Shipping Corridor.
The ports of Oakland and Yokohama plan to share best practices on a range of projects to reduce carbon emissions, including developing equipment to handle low- and zero-carbon cargo.
